Mike Quitko

Now in his 23rd year as the head coach of the men’s and
women’s tennis programs, Quinnipiac Athletics Hall of Famer
Mike Quitko has transformed the Bobcats from a Division II
powerhouse into one of the top mid-major Division I programs in the
nation.

A career decorated with laurels and accolades, the 2012-13
season featured an unparalleled milestone for the tennis
mastermind. Quitko collected his 500th career win when the
Quinnipiac men’s and women’s tennis teams swept Saint
Francis University on April 13, 2013. Quitko became the first coach
ever at Quinnipiac to reach 500 career wins.

Quitko turned to a new chapter in his storied career in 2013-14,
spearheading the charge into a new conference, the Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference (MAAC). On July 1, 2013, Quinnipiac officially
concluded its term with the Northeast Conference, and directed its
attention to the New York based association.

New league but same results for the 23rd year head
coach. Quitko guided the women’s tennis team to its seventh
Division I Conference Championship, defeating Fairfield in the
finals for the MAAC Championship Title. Quitko was tabbed 2014 MAAC
Coach of the Year while Sophia Dzulynsky was named MAAC Player of
the Year. Six other players earned All-League honors and Jacqueline
Raynor earned MAAC Tournament Most Outstanding Performer.

Previously, Quitko led the Bobcats to six Northeast Conference
women’s tournament titles from 2004-11. The men’s team
also won three straight NEC championships from 2004-06. The
women’s team faced UCLA (2011), Stanford University (2004,
2006), the University of Georgia (2005), UCLA (2007) and Miami
(Fla.) (2008). The men’s team has played Stanford (2010,
2006), Harvard University (2004) and the University of Illinois
(2005). Quitko left the Northeast Conference with an unprecedented
10 NEC Championships to his name.

Quitko has recorded a combined mark of 526-319 (.621) in his 23
seasons with the Bobcats. The men’s side has posted a 238-171
(.582) record, while the women’s squad has gone 296-148
(.666).

On April 8, 2008, Quitko earned his 400th career victory as the
Quinnipiac women defeated Fairfield, 6-1. Quitko ranks second among
active New England Division I tennis coaches in career victories
and is first all-time among Quinnipiac coaches, moving ahead of
legendary men’s basketball coach Burt Kahn (459 career
victories). For his accomplishments, Quitko was inducted into the
Quinnipiac Athletics Hall of Fame on February 28, 2009.

Named the Northeast-10 Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year in
1992, 1993 and 1996, Quitko was also named the Northeast Conference
Coach of the Year in 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2011. Along with
NE-10 Men’s Coach of the Year Awards in 1993, 1997 and 1998,
and NEC Men’s Coach of the Year Awards in 2004, 2005 and
2010, Quitko’s total is 14 conference coach of the year
awards.

By virtue of winning both the Northeast Conference men’s
and women’s tournaments on April 24, 2004, Quitko took
another step up the Division I ladder as the Bobcats secured NCAA
Division I tournament berths for the first time in school
history.

In 2005, Quitko guided the Bobcats to a repeat. On April 24,
2005, the women’s team defeated Long Island and the
men’s team downed Mt. St. Mary’s to make it
back-to-back titles and NCAA appearances. The programs combined for
a 26-14 record in 2005.

For his efforts, Quitko was named 2005 NEC Coach of the Year in
both men’s and women’s tennis. It was the second
straight year that he had earned the honor from the league.

The Bobcats made it a three-peat in 2006 as the men defeated
Fairleigh Dickinson, 4-0, and the women slid past Long Island, 4-3,
April 23, 2006, in the Northeast Conference Tournament
Championship.

Following the 2006 season, 13 players (seven men and six women)
earned All-Northeast Conference honors.

The women’s team earned a fourth straight conference title
on April 21, 2007. The Bobcats were trailing, 3-2, to Long Island
in the finals with both Mary Wilson (No. 2) and Amanda Petruzzi
(No. 4) behind in the remaining two matches. Petruzzi trailed, 6-1,
in the third-set tie-breaker, and faced five consecutive
championship points. She proceeded to win seven straight points to
claim the tie-breaker and even the score. Trailing 4-2 in the third
set, Wilson won four straight games to give Quinnipiac the
trophy.

The Quinnipiac women defeated Long Island, 4-2, in 2008 to earn
a fifth consecutive championship. Wilson was named NEC Player of
the Year as a sophomore and freshman Adrienne Markison earned NEC
Rookie of the Year honors. The Bobcats made it a clean sweep of the
NEC awards as Quitko took his sixth NEC Coach of the Year award.
Five Bobcats were named all-conference. In addition, Quitko led the
men’s team to a runner-up finish.

The top-seeded Quinnipiac women returned to the top and
collected their sixth NEC title in 2011. With an exciting 4-3 win
over #2 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, the Bobcats advanced to the NCAA
Tournament for a first round match-up against UCLA.

Once again, Quitko remains in elite company on the national
level. Quitko joined Winthrop University’s Cid Carvalho as
the only coaches to lead both their school’s men’s and
women’s teams to the NCAA Tournament in three straight years,
2004-06.

A respected member of the tennis community, Quitko completed a
three-year term as East Regional chair for the Division I
women’s tennis committee in 2007-08, his fifth year on the
committee.

In 2003-04, the men’s and women’s programs combined
to post a 30-11 record (.732). The women’s squad finished the
regular season with a 13-4 mark and rolled through the NEC
tournament with shutout wins over Robert Morris, Mt. St.
Mary’s and Long Island.

Meanwhile, the men’s squad closed with an 11-5 mark,
sandwiching shutout wins over St. Francis, N.Y. and Sacred Heart
around a 4-3 thriller in the NEC semifinals against Fairleigh
Dickinson.

For his efforts, Quitko was named 2004 NEC Coach of the Year in
both men’s and women’s tennis.

He was also named the 2004 USA Tennis New England College Coach
of the Year. Earlier in 2004, Quitko claimed his 300th career
coaching victory in a 7-0 triumph over Holy Cross on February
21.

In 2003, Quitko guided the women’s team to its fourth
straight Northeast Conference tournament final, where it once again
lost to Maryland-Baltimore County. The men’s tennis team also
reached the Northeast Conference tournament semifinals, where it
lost to eventual champ UMBC.

In 2002-03, the Bobcats placed a combined seven individuals on
the one of the two All-Northeast Conference teams.

Under Quitko’s tutelage, the doubles team of Stephanie
Petrycki/Cristin Arahovites earned the school’s first-ever
ITA Northeast Regional ranking in the 2001-02 season, checking in
at No. 15. In 2001-02, Quitko had a combined 10 players from the
two teams earn All-Northeast Conference honors.

In 2000-01, the women’s team posted a 14-3 record and made
the NEC championship match for the second straight year.

In 1999-2000, the women’s team recorded a school record
20-4 mark and advanced to the NEC championship match. As a result,
Quitko earned NEC “Coach of the Year accolades. In 1998-99,
the Bobcats finished with an overall record of 15-7 and a third
place finish in the Northeast Conference.

On the men’s side, Quinnipiac was 9-8 in 2000-2001 and
finished with a respectable 11-8-1 record during the 1999-2000
season.

Quitko led the Bobcats to a 10-2 record and a second-place
finish in the NE-10 Championships in 1992. It was then that the
Bobcats began a 42 dual-match undefeated streak in conference play
that spanned four seasons from 1993-1996.

The squad established a then-school record of 12 victories in
1993 and won four consecutive NE-10 Championship crowns from 1993
through 1996.

Quitko captured national recognition following the 1994-95
season as he was honored as the ITA/Wilson Division II
Women’s Tennis National Coach of the Year. The award followed
yet another 12-victory season and the team’s first-ever NCAA
Division II regional Tournament appearance.

The 1995 season was highlighted by a top-20 national ranking,
the NE-10 regular season and tournament titles, and the
squad’s second NCAA Division II East regional appearance.

Quitko has enjoyed similar success as the leader of the
men’s tennis program. He led the team to two straight
Northeast-10 regular season and tournament titles in their final
two seasons in Division II. For his efforts, Quitko was voted the
NE-10 Men’s Coach of the Year in 1993, 1997 and 1998.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Quitko is a 1973 graduate of
Southern Connecticut, earning a B.A. in communications. He served
as the U.S.P.T.A./New England president and certified tester, as
well as a National Board of Directors member. He was also on staff
at the North Haven Health & Racquet Club.

Quitko resides in North Haven with his wife, Betsy, a graduate
from Quinnipiac with a degree in nursing in 1977. They have a
daughter, Megan, who also graduated from Quinnipiac, in 2000.